America: Is There A More Embarrassing Way To Lose A Shutout Bid?

You can’t find much to nitpick with Cubs pitcher Matt Garza’s performance against the Brewers yesterday. He completely shut Milwaukee down, allowing three hits and no runs over 8 2/3 innings while striking out nine. The Cubs won 8-0. The bullpen got rest. The day was a huge success overall – except how it ended for Garza. He went 8 2/3 innings, but he should have recorded the last out. But on the play that would have ended it, this happened:

Well, we guess it’s better for a pitcher screw up that badly on a throw to first than a throw to a batter. We feel a little bad for Garza, though: so close to a shutout, and then you come down with a case of Chuck Knoblauch c. 2000 Syndrome. Ultimately, it pales in comparison to pitching a gem and the Cubs getting an easy win, but he might not be able to miss that badly on a throw to first again if he tried. Then again, it’s the Cubs, so it would probably be too much to expect everything to go well.